Keyhole-guard



No. 627,238. Patented June 20, I899. G. K. PETERSON. r f

KEYHOLE GUARD.

(Application filed may 24, 1898.)

Nb Model.)

4;. WWW

. hole.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GUST K. PETERSON, OF HOLCOMB, ILLINOIS.

KEYHOLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,238, dated June 20, 1899.

Application filed May 24. 1893. Serial No. 681,562. (No model.)

To all whom, it pea/y concern.-

Be it known that I, GUST K. PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1101- comb, in the county of Ogle and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keyhole-Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to keyhole-guards, the object being to produce a device of this character which may be readily applied to a door, window, or other part in a manner to guard the keyhole.

To this end the invention consists in providing a pair of ornamental face-plates with correlative slots or recesses designed to aline with the keyhole and spaced by an intermediate plate cut away to receive the guard, which may be either gravity or spring actuated and which is designed to be raised to uncover the keyhole when the key is presented from one side of the look, but not otherwise.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view showing the application of my device, the guard being in the closed position. a view of the guard detached. Fig. 3 is a similar view with one of the face-plates re moved. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. r

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates the casing of my guard,composed, preferably, of-the face-plates 2 and 3, of any 'desired form,suitably ornamented and spaced by the interposition of an intermediate plate 4, and the plates 2 and 3 are provided with a key recess or slot 5, extending upwardly from the bottom and designed to aline with the key The intermediate plate 4 is cut away to form a guide or way 6 somewhat wider and longer than the recesses 5, in which the guard 7 is designed to move. This cut-away or guide portion of the plate terminates at a suitable distance above the lower extremity of the face-plates to form a pair of stop-shoulders 8, upon which the guard proper rests when in the depressed position. The guard consists, essentially, of a substantially oblong metal plate of about the thickness of the interme- Fig. 2 is diate plate of the casing and is designed to move within the way in said intermediate plate to either close or uncover the keyhole.

The several parts of the casing may be united in any suitable'manner, but are preferably riveted together, and screw-holes are formed at proper points to permit the casing to be attached-to the door or other part bearing the lock. When the guard is attached to one face of the door in a position to guard the keyhole, it will be seen that the key when presented beneath the guard may be caused to lift the same out of the way to permit the insertion of the key; but it is equally obvious that any attempt to insert the key from the opposite side of the door will be prevented by the presence of the guard, which cannot be lifted by the key for the reason that the latter cannot be presented to its lower edge.

In this manner the keyhole is effectually guarded and as soon as the key has been withdrawn is effectually closed, the insertion of the key from one side being possible by a simple manipulation of the parts, but its insertion' from the opposite side of the door or window being impossible by reason of the construction or location of the guard.

While the present embodiment of my invention appears at this time to be preferable, I do not desire to limit myself to the structural details set out, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary them at will within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a keyhole guard, the combination with a casing provided with a slot corresponding to the keyhole and having an open lower end, of a gravity-actuated guard within the casing normally closingthe opening there*' through and adapted to return automatically to its normal position, substantially as speci* fied.

2. In a keyhole guard, the combination with a casing composed of a pair of correlati vely-shaped face-plates and an intermediate spacing-plate provided respectively with slots designed to aline with the keyhole one of which is open at its lower end, of a gravity actuated guard within the casing normally closing the keyhole and adapted to be lifted by the key from the inside of the door, substantially as specified.

3. A keyhole-guard adapted to be attached to a door or other part havinga lock, the same consisting of a casin g made up of spaced plates which have slots in them corresponding to the keyhole, the slot in one of the plates being open at its lower end, a gravity-actuated guard-plate slidingly mounted between said spaced plates, normally covering the keyhole and adapted to return automatically to its normal position.

4. The combination with a pair of correlae tively-shaped face-plates provided with upwardly-extending correlative slots, of an intermediate plate provided with a central cutaway portion designed to form a guide and having stop-shoulders and a gravity-actuated sliding guard retained within the guide and between the face-plates and normally closing the keyhole, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUST K. PETERSON.

Witnesses:

OTTO BENsoN, N. PALMQUIST. 

